Remember the good ol days when we bitched about the *** parts, right now Ide really appreciate some of those *** parts, these china, India and Korean parts give new meaning to the word CRAP, something as simple as a trim clip or a tail light bracket, I sure hope our government don’t contract with them for the buttons that launch the nukes, as a country we are sure in a sorry state when we cant even get a simple part that fits correctly or the bolt hole or stud weren't threaded or taped..
LORD HELP US.
Buy the way the parts came fron the Elcamino Store..

Here in Canada we have more people selling products then people manufacturing products which means most of our items are imported from other countries . One only has to only look at the government for creating this problem for allowing the importation of products that we could be producing ourselves in North America. Look at the number of vehicles being produced in North America did we really need the importation of japanese, korean , and european cars ,probably not.

I guess the Elcamino Store is taking lesson from the Goverment,and you ALL know how the Goverment works...:poke:

Good example! I bought a used set of sun visors to paint and see how they would look. A cheap set of used off Ebay for $10.00
Well after I receive them I see they are originals in great shape, a little dirt and not dark black (could used dyed or painted.) At this point I go look at the ones I already have, nice looking (shiny and black) but cheap quality!!!1
The used ones I bought are twice as heavy and made out of much better material. Now I don't have the heart to paint them because if I mess them up I've ruined a better set than the ones on my car!!!:dontknow:
I don't want to paint the ones on my car because they been cleaned and polished so much I don't think paint or dye would stick.
So I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I guess the point is, the new ones might fit o.k. but in 41 years will they still be around or be worn out car board covered peices of junk?
If it aint cheap foreign junk, then it's cheap American made junk!!!
Nothing is made of quality any more. I know this rave is posted all the time but every day it gets worse!!!
Donny

Donny how about recovering them

Legoexx, partly agree with you about the government but I think most of the blame for outsourcing to foreign companies gos to the UNIONS for insisting that non skilled labor gets $25. hr + benefits to push a button or tighten a bolt.

We have to allow the import of their crappy stuff here in the USA, because they buy and hold American debt in bonds. We sell the bonds so we can continue to print more money to pay for the living and medical costs of illegal immigrants and a bazillion other pieces of trash sitting around on the butts here in the good'ol USA.

Ultimately the people have the power to change this paradigm, if we will only do it and not sit by and twiddle our thumbs and complain. Vote out your political scammers and put somebody in who is willing to acknowledge and take action on what it will take to change the situation.

And we don't have to buy their crap either. Starve'm out.

off soap box now

Im to the point where if i cannot find a made in USA sticker i leave it on the shelf. Made in USA by a foriegn owner is almost as bad. Most the stuff online seems to be cheap import crap. We are tuning into a service nation and letting all the manufacturing jobs slip away. Hate to say it but this is just the beginning of the recession we are going thru. This global economy stuff is going to be the end of our way of life. We are only going to leave debt for the next generation at this rate, not the better stronger nation that has always been passed on before.
okay, my rant is over.

We the people...voted for CHANGE, a year and a half ago.
How's it working out for ya?
I purchased trim for the bed...like you say "CRAP"... thank God I saved the original pieces.
I am going to have them replated locally by an AMERICAN self employed craftsman.
It will be money well spent!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :let_it_all_out:

It's unfortunate what is happening to the 'American Product' but even the Roman empire fell.

We are no longer the the best at anything but sitting quietly by and letting the world pass us by. There was a day when the US was tops in everything,, we built the best bombs, the best fighting / mechanized army, the fastest cars, the most reliable and sturdy machines,, and the hardest working people on the planet. Today we are a bunch of lazy, whiny cry-babies that want everything handed to us on a silver platter. It's our own fault. Our parents wanted to make things better for us than they had it as a kid. And we strive to make things better for our kids. Mission accomplished folks!!!!! 90% of the American workforce doesn't know what an honest days labor is. I'm not saying were all fat and lazy,, just MOST of us!

And pride in your work... HA! I'm with you a billion % AmericanHandy. That walked out the door the day the UNIONS walked IN and said you don't have to take that from that mean old employer,, we'll show them.

Well you showed them alright Mr Union. Showed them how to take the billions in 'bailout' money and outsource to 5¢ an hour labor in India and close US plants, lay off the Union worker. Good job there boys! Now the only problem is who in the hell are they going to sell these overpriced, 3rd rate automobiles to??? the factory worker in India making 5¢ an hour????? We can't compete in a world market with unions driving the labor market.

It all boils down to a simple fact. When you take form the rich (industry) to give to the poor (the lazy worker) you kill incentive. The rich man has no incentive to participate any more,, why should he? And the poor man has no incentive to get better, he has everything handed to him for very little effort. Why should he try!

I'm sure that's going to ruffle a few feathers,, but I'm gonna blame it on cjlaketexoma,, he's the one that ran off and left the stinking soapbox vacant ;)

I guess the Elcamino Store is taking lesson from the Goverment,and you ALL know how the Goverment works...:poke:

Legoexx, partly agree with you about the government but I think most of the blame for outsourcing to foreign companies gos to the UNIONS for insisting that non skilled labor gets $25. hr + benefits to push a button or tighten a bolt.

:let_it_all_out:

Not entirely. We must blame ourselves as consumers that demand more for less. You can't have "affordable luxury" - the terms are mutually exclusive. But, all of the foreign cars are being made with those features people equate with luxury. First it started with electric seats/windows/mirrors and AC... then it evolved into climate controls, heated seats... now it's push button start, nav systems.. etc. You look at that Hyundai Genesis... for 30k, do you really think it's as good as a 90k Mercedes S class or BMW 7 series? HELL NO! It won't even be around in 10 to 15 years, but people will buy it because they think they're getting such a great luxury car.

Walmart can also be a big scape goat here too -- they're forcing our domestic companies to produce overseas so Walmart can get its 5 cents or 10 cents or whatever cost per unit reduction.

The idea that we can give everybody a high standard of living (that some think everyone is "entitled" to that high standard of living) is what's driving our economy into the crapper and forcing so much stuff overseas. Those UNIONS demanding the higher salaries and benefits is just one of the factors in this equation.

Legoexx, partly agree with you about the government but I think most of the blame for outsourcing to foreign companies gos to the UNIONS for insisting that non skilled labor gets $25. hr + benefits to push a button or tighten a bolt.

I agree with your distaste about unions but then again it is the government that allowed unions to form . Every job here with the municipal government in Canada is with a union . And they get paid ridiculous rates compared to the rest of the work force. Labourer job is $8-$10 locally to start , with the city it is over $16/hr plus benefits after 3 months. City jobs goes to friends and family members and not the most qualified. I can not comment on the United States as I do not live there but in Canada the government is the blame for everything. No family values , poor economy , rising crime and pollution etc etc These same people made large business untouchable and not accountable for poor quality. Everything these days are made to break down and be replaced.

The solution is sooooo simple guys! Just don't buy stuff that is foriegn! Nothing!

Impossible when probably 80% of what we own is foreign .

Impossible when probably 80% of what we own is foreign .
Good point even the American made products have Foreign crap parts, my 05 Silverado has foreign parts in it and as far as our hobby were do you get American made parts (Trim and such) for a 32 yo car.

There or lots of reason far the way things or here.You can vote , but there seem like eveyone running or just in it far the power. It seem like to me that politicans are all bad.
The company that I work far the big shots get payed 100,000.00 + bonus. And there are people in the plant that will stand around and talking and not be doing there job. We as a people want way to much stuff.

Buying parts at the local auto store is an example of Chinese Junk, and I don't mean the boat! The brake rotors and drums are throw-away items after about three years.

The local auto plants (GM) pay about 28 bucks an hour, and the benefits are even more than that, but the workers (and unions) are pricing themselves out of a job in recent years.
Nothing wrong with increasing the standard of living, but paying big bucks for dummy jobs seems a bit much.
It's more and more a world economy it seems, so we must be headed for the standard of living of 3rd world countries:dontknow:

WOW, Some good stuff here tonight. Now what was I going to add, well I know for one thing I agree with just about everybody here tonight. I never made the BIG bucks lots of people made or MAKE today. Working salary and comminsion, most of my life for just a average income. I too try to buy American made products and have to live with the (whatever) that comes from other country. Thats my 2 cent Rango:yell::smileyb::yell:

Well i'm still young but my dad has owned a manufactoring company for almost 10 years now. Not to make him sound great but here how he started dropped out in 7th grade, got job in a factory at 14, 16 became friends with a machinist and learned how to build run ect, then he worked as cnc programmer for a couple years, and then started the company. He showed that hard work does pay off and can fix some mistakes, but more recently china almost put him out of business(anyone see anything wrong with that, we went from 29 employies to now have 7) instead of automotive work we are moving into archery and sporting goods, look us up athens archery.

My 2 cents if people would work harder and take pride in everything they do whether it is hit a start button on cnc or wire up and program a machine everything would be better. This is coming from one of the few young people who want to succeed with out using welfare(instead of have more kids so you make more sitting on ur A$$ and raise them in poverty)
thats my 2 cents and sorry if anyone was offended

We the people...voted for CHANGE, a year and a half ago.
How's it working out for ya?
I purchased trim for the bed...like you say "CRAP"... thank God I saved the original pieces.
I am going to have them replated locally by an AMERICAN self employed craftsman.
It will be money well spent!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :let_it_all_out:
atta boy,That how you do it..:beer::beer:

My 2 cents if people would work harder and take pride in everything they do whether it is hit a start button on cnc or wire up and program a machine everything would be better. This is coming from one of the few young people who want to succeed with out using welfare(instead of have more kids so you make more sitting on ur A$$ and raise them in poverty)

Yes. I totally agree with you.

Unions are not to blame...if it wasn't for unions, you non union guys would still be working 6 days a week, 12 hrs a day, with no overtime. It's corporate greed and the government that's to blame, it started with NAFTA. You really think Corporations or our Government give a rats ass about bringing 3rd world countries standards of living up to ours? Greed and power...plain and simple! Yeah...I'm union...and hell glad I am...and I bust my butt at work everyday...and when I retire, I won't be a burden on the social security system...I pay for my pension! WTFU

I am a native of the Houston area (Pasadena actually, probably most famous for Gilleys from Urban Cowboy). In my lifetime of 52 years, it's gone from Beaver Cleavers neighborhood to 3rd world status largely due to the unchecked influx of illegal aliens. They live 15 to a house, get all sorts of aid from the government, clog the schools and emergency rooms, yet somehow manage to drive $30,000 trucks with 22" wheels. As a kid I worked for minimum wage at the local Dairy Queen. Today at the very same store, ALL of the employee's are middle aged Mexican women. The signage at the local Walmart is entirely in Spanish. A couple built a new house right next door to me, and when they moved in I introduced myself to the wife but I couldn't because she didn't speak English. How can you make enough money to build a new house and not speak English? More importantly, how are my kids going to do the same and not speak Spanish?

Sorry, my bad.